Evolution in Four Dimensions, revised edition: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life (Life and Mind: Philosophical Issues in Biology and Psychology)

This is such a good book, I wish it were better. In particular, I wish that the authors had not spent so much time discussing the effects of informational and symbolic transmission on evolution (most of which is fairly obvious) and spent more time on the fascinating topics of epigentic transmission and genetic control systems, which are extremely complex and difficult issues, and go by too fast. The authors pose a question that evolutionary scholar rarely broach: If evolution produces and preserves adaptive traits, why does it not produce the trait that is the most adaptive of all -- the ability to directly transmit acquired adaptive characteristics to offspring? Ironically, despite their qualified claim that organisims do have such an ability, the authors provide an excellent Darwinian reason why this trait is so limited -- because a species which possesses it (like, say, humans) is so likely to "crash and burn" if it mistakenly adopts a trait which turns out to be maladaptive. Jablonski and her co-author are neo-Lamarkians; that is, they believe (or want to believe) in the inheritance of acquired characterists. Lamarkism is deeply distrusted by evolutionary biologists for two very good reasons: there is not much evidence for it, and a mechanism for transmitting acquired characteristics seems biochemically impossible. The authors present some good arguments why this might not be so. Particulary impressive is their discussion of epigenetics -- biochemical processess not involving genes which nonethelesss affect an organism's development. Epigenetic processes pretty clearly can be affected by environmental factors, and so environmental factors do have a direct impact on bodily devlopment, and hence evolution. More relevantly, epigentic developments can apparently be directly incorporated into the organism's germ line (the system which involves reproduction), and hence heredity, without the necessity of mutation. This issue is deep and difficult probably deserved a whole book of its own. The writing is clear and the illustrations are helpful, if a bit "cute." This book is a wonderful introduction to a problematical subject. Persons who are suspicious of classical Darwinism, but suspect that intelligent design theory is nonsense will love this book.

This is an excellent summary of all the ways that important information is inherited by species. Specifically, evolution is not all about DNA, random variation and selection. Eva supplements the overwhelming preoccupation on Darwinian evolution and the role of DNA and genes with the related epigenetic mechanisms that control development, and more innovative behavioral and cultural mechanisms that are at work.There are three major mysteries at the heart of evolution - how can random individual mutations in DNA 'cooperate' across millennia to create complex organs like the eye? With identical DNA, how does a cell in, say the liver, know not to express genes that are needed only elsewhere, say in the heart? How do some species at some times evolve so much faster than selection and random variation would seem to permit? All the answers, well, hypotheses really are in this book. There are two other books I would recommend in combination with this one - The Plausibility of life by Kirschner; and Epigenetics by FrancisEssential reading for those of us whose careers and environment have centered around the sequencing of genomes to the exclusion of all else. The small discussions at the end of each chapter at first seem a little 'hokey' but by the second chapter they become essential explorations of questions raised in the textOverall an excellent book!

... in my opinion.This book is quite a treat. Jablonka and Lamb significantly advance evolutionary biology by assembling a wealth of biological knowledge.Their basic thesis is that evolution in some way acts on all forms of hereditary information carried by organisms. This is, of course, true for the information encoded on an organism's DNA, but also for information encoded in epigenetic systems, in animal behavior and in symbolic systems. The later is unique to our species.Jablonka and Lamb argue that a type of behavior which is learned by an offspring from a parent will propagate itself from generation trough generation. Successful types of behavior will over time be enriched in the population. This type of evolution will of course be ruled by different laws than genetic evolution - changes in behaviors will not be random and un-directed as DNA mutations (and even that is not certain). Thus, the "evolution of educated guesses" is taking place.Similar principles hold for epigenetic and symbolic evolution. Information is passed on, and will be enriched in the population if it increases the bearer's fitness. In addition, these levels of evolution interact. The Baldwin effect, genetic evolution directed by behavior, is one example of such an interaction.These points are made with a wealth of well-researched examples, some of them based on solidly established science, some of it on new strands of research. None of Jablonka and Lamb's ideas need you to believe anything outrageous to be true. At times they speculate about the role the mechanisms they propose could have, but the speculation seems completely reasonable to me and in many cases could serve as the starting point for interesting research projects - a real strong point of this book.What is thus presented in this book is a modernized version of evolutionary theory, taking a number of complexities into account which have previously not been assigned the importance they propably should be given. From the connection between processes at the genetic, epigenetic, behavioral and systemic levels emerges a biology where evolution is not confined to selecting for benefitial variations in DNA sequences. Rather, such genetic evolution is only at the base of a more complex evolutionary process. Dobzhansky' famous quote that "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" morphs into "All (hereditary information) in biology makes sense for evolution".While I am excited about Jablonka and Lamb's ideas, I found their presentation at times a bit tedious. The book could be 100 pages thinner. Especially the earlier chapters have a lot of introductory material which anyone who is picking up such a book will be familiar with. A number of times they start describing an intellectual debate about a certain topic, only to abort the description at a point when it would have been interesting, since "that would lead us too far astray". The chapters are followed by a dialog between two people defending and questioning, respectively, their ideas, which is often a bit redundant.Then, Jablonka and Lamb admittedly cover a very wide range of topics and can't be expected to be experts on all topics. But there were still some cases where they could have payed more attention. As the example for a mutagen they list LSD, which it is not, in doses consumed by humans. To confuse a piece of drug war propaganda with a scientific fact made me cringe a bit. I enjoyed the creative naivist illustrations by Anna Zeligowski which often illustrate the concepts very well.In summary: if you are a biologist who cares about a global perspective of his field, read this book. If you are one of these wonderful "educated laymen" scientists hope are abound in the public, read it as well.

Un régal de précision et clarté par des scientifiques hors pair.Un réel plaisir de lecture et apprentissage dans un language accessible malgré les items assez compliquées.

Consegna puntuale e precisa. Le condizioni del libro sono perfette.

Me parece una idea increíble la que proponen en el libro, la evolución es más compleja de lo que se pensaba.

It is very pleasant and easy to read for those who are not specialists. Definitely, this book poses a new paradigm about inheritance and evolution

Great Read !